A network environment typically includes multiple nodes in which a node itself can also be a network. Information can be transmitted from one of these nodes which can be received by another node in the network.
Multimedia data streams can be sent through public networks for reception by the general public. The data streams can consist of audio, video, whiteboard, or any other type of digital data. A user on the network can receive these data streams using the appropriate software and with knowledge of the multicast address and port number for the stream. The problem is that it is difficult to locate the desired information since the user must typically know the address and port number for a desired data stream.
A network sniffer is a system and method that is normally used to monitor network activity when resolving network problems or when improving network efficiency. Although the network sniffer can typically access information regarding all data being transferred into the node, access to the network sniffer is generally privileged due to the sensitivity of some of the data on the networks. Thus, there is a need to facilitate ease of access to available information in a network environment. The present invention addresses such a need.